Environmental Learning Center Press Release: From Kayaking to Disney Movies offered at ELC

PRESS RELEASE: From Kayaking to Disney Movies offered at ELC

SEBASTIAN – Chair yoga, canoeing through a lit mangrove tunnel, campfires with s’mores, and watching a Disney movie outside under the stars.

Where can you do all these at the same place in the Sebastian/Vero Beach area?

At the Environmental Learning Center (ELC)! The campus offers you these opportunities, and many more. “No matter what your age, whether you’re a resident or visitor, these opportunities and more are available to you,” said Michelle Deschane, Development Officer.

Michelle will share and explain the variety of programs ELC offers at a free presentation on July 17 at 1 p.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1301 Sebastian Blvd., Sebastian.

“Our mission is to educate, inspire, and empower all people to be active stewards of the environment and their own well-being,” she said. “We help people care for the environment and themselves.”

It’s one of the reasons the ELC offers yoga, chair yoga, tai chi, meditation walks, sound bowl therapy, and Pilates classes. Visitors can rent kayaks and canoes and enjoy a trip on one of its award-winning pontoon boat eco-tours.

“We give people the opportunity to disengage from screen time and invest in themselves by connecting to nature,” Deschane said.

Its 64-acre campus offers many other activities. There are 2,000 gallons of aquarium in the Living Lagoon, a 145-gallon Touch Tank, two art galleries, educational walking trails, a meditation garden, and so much more. “Every day, the ELC comes alive with the curiosity and wonder of every visitor, both young and old,” said Deschane.

She moved to Vero Beach in 2001 and spent many years of her philanthropic career ensuring home health and hospice care are available to anyone in our community, regardless of their ability to afford their care. She did that by working with donors, sponsors, and granting organizations.

It was as a child that Michelle experienced the devastating impact of pollution on the environment and how it impacts both the lives of people living in the surrounding communities and the fragile ecosystems. “When this opportunity at the ELC arrived, I was super excited to raise funding for a non-profit focused on the environment and education,” she said.

ELC is located at 255 Live Oak Drive, Vero Beach. An island sanctuary located at the western foot of the Wabasso Causeway, it is located in the middle of the biodiverse Indian River Lagoon.

This open program at Christ the King church is sponsored by the Cancer Support Group of Indian River County.

The Group meets on the third Friday of each month at the church. “The purpose of this support group is to share with each other helpful information about living with cancer–whether you are newly diagnosed, a family member or friend, or caregiver,” said Gayle Seifert, facilitator. “We offer a safe environment where people affected by cancer are able to share feelings, experiences, tips, and advice that is helpful to each other. Our guest speakers, who are invited every other month, share vital information for the group to help in their cancer journey.”

"Press Release written by Michelle Deschane, Development Officer, Environmental Learning Center"

About the Environmental Learning Center “ELC”

The Environmental Learning Center (ELC) is a 64-acre nonprofit nature center located on a lagoon island in the heart of the Indian River Lagoon at 255 Live Oak Drive, Vero Beach, Florida 32963. Since 1988, the ELC has connected visitors of all ages with nature through environmental education, walking trails, aquariums, interactive exhibits, kayak and pontoon boat tours, summer camps, art programs, and conservation initiatives. The organization’s mission is to inspire environmental stewardship while promoting appreciation and protection of one of North America’s most biologically diverse estuaries. The ELC is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 772-589-5050 or visit DiscoverELC.org.

Credits

Cover photo selection of the aerial view above ELC is from the DiscoverELC.org website.

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